Shipshape project management

Picture courtesy of Chris Smith

Tom Vian is a project manager here at Gladstone Health & Leisure and when he is not ensuring everything is running shipshape at work he spends most of his time sailing!

During his 17 years of sailing Tom has tried out many different types of boats from 42ft yachts to 12ft dinghies (not the rubber kind!) from the UK to distant shores in Switzerland and Minorca. Tom is a fully qualified sailing instructor and as a student was closely involved with running the sailing team at Nottingham Trent University.

Tom currently competes at National Level in the 12ft Skiff class. These vessels are the very pinnacle of extreme sports sailing. Skiffs can trace their history back to the early 20th century, and are direct descendants of the workboats serving Sydney harbour. The modern 12ft Skiff is one of the most open and unrestricted classes of racing dinghy in the world with very simple rules governing only the length, width, and weight of the boat. Weighing just 45kg, and with a completely unrestricted sail area, modern carbon fibre 12ft Skiffs are regarded as one of the most powerful and exciting boats to sail in the world, regularly reaching speeds of around 30mph. Tom tells us this is really fast for a sailing boat!

Iain Christie (helm) and Tom (crew) have been sailing together for over three years, and currently sail 'DesignSource', an imported New Zealand boat. The pair's first success came during their first year of sailing together back in 2006 when they sailed 'Team Practicus' to victory in the 12ft Skiff Nationals in Torquay, and in their second year together saw further success with a 3rd overall place at the 2007 Velocitek Cherub Class Nationals in Weymouth, the 2012 Olympic sailing venue.

The team spend their time training hard over the weekends at Draycote Water Sailing Club near Rugby and competing all over the UK throughout the year. So far this year, after 2 events, 'DesignSource' is leading the Batercard 12ft Skiff series with 11 points (one first place and one second Place). With 4 events remaining this year it is looking like another successful year for 'DesignSource'.

The most prestigious event of the sailing year is the Ocean BMW Torbay Week 2008, due to take place 23rd-25th of August. This is a new event resulting from the amalgamation of four previously established regattas. The event will take over the whole of Torbay, with the main base at Paignton Sailing Club. The event is expected to attract tens of thousands of people and culminates in a display from the Red Arrows.

Gladstone Health & Leisure is proud to be sponsoring 'DesignSource' for the Ocean BMW Torbay Week 2008. We wish Iain and Tom every success for the event and we will be cheering them on from the shoreline!

30 July 2008